The Proposal
by KnightNight7203
Summary: "This ain't how it was supposed to go . . ." In which Katherine gets arrested and Jack gets a ring.


**Hey guys! I've missed you all!**

**This is sort of a rough draft - so let me know if you see anything weird or have suggestions to make it better - but I felt bad that it's been so long and wanted to put up ****_something_**** that I had so far. My schedule's pretty crazy until the end of the school year, so don't expect too much between now and then. But come graduation, I'll probably turn into a writing monster again. ;)**

**(I can't wait. I'm ****_so_**** done with school.)**

**Standard disclaimers apply.**

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"In here." The policeman gestures to a cell down at the end of the hallway, lit only by a dim lantern. He leads the way down the rows of bars, then turns and adds, "She's a feisty one. I'd watch her close if I were you. Women like that need to be handled strictly."

Jack grins briefly at the thought of anyone trying to _handle_ Katherine, and hopes for the guard's sake that she didn't hear him. As he follows him to the holding cell his concern returns for a moment as he takes in the shadowy corner and the eerie silence of the jail. But she's alone and safe, and his smile returns along with that realization.

She's perched daintily on an overturned bucket, her arms crossed and her eyes narrowed. She looks angry, and when she notices him standing beside the guard who holds the keys, she doesn't brighten like she usually does. In fact, she only glares more.

"About time you show up," she mutters, making no move to stand.

He shrugs apologetically, shoving his hands deep in his pockets. "I was working, Ace. I only just heard." Then he smirks. "And don't you be mad at me. I ain't the one who got myself thrown in jail."

"_This_ time," she all but snarls. He grimaces.

"Touché." He forces his smile back into place, trying not to let her mood get to him. "It's a nice change."

"For you, I'm sure." Her voice is cold. The guard unlocks the door and lets Jack slip inside, stepping back and spinning the keys on his fingers. Katherine still hasn't stood up.

"You ready?" Jack asks uncertainly, staring at her questioningly. She frowns and looks away.

"I don't know. I guess." There's a note in her voice he doesn't recognize, but it's not exactly thrilled.

"Now, Ace," he says, smirking at her again, "getting thrown in jail ain't nothin' to be ashamed of. After all the time you've spent with me, I'd have thought you–" He cuts off as her face falls and comes closer to kneel by her side, his expression suddenly tender. "What is it? What happened?"

Gradually her frustration at the situation comes out in her explanation about a rally for women's rights she was supposed to write about. He'd known nothing about it, but can immediately see why it's something she'd want to cover — nothing inspires Katherine Plumber more than a classic underdog story. He wishes she'd have realized by now that underdogs tend to be rounded up by the police multiple times before any changes get made in society. But it really doesn't surprise him that she's taking the struggle and subsequent loss this hard.

"I mean, I know I started going to the rallies to write this article for my father," she says is a quiet voice. "But that doesn't mean I wasn't hoping they would accomplish something. We were supposed to make a difference."

"You were there because of your _father?"_ Jack demands. She squares her shoulders defensively, and he shakes his head. "You didn't even tell me you were going!"

"I would have told you once I finshed the article," she starts to explain, but he shakes his head.

"Did he know this could happen? Would he even care? This is like that damned Blackwell thing all over again!"

"There was never any danger this time!" she exclaims, trying to ignore the guard staring at them from outside the cell. He's not even trying to hide the fact that he's listening to the argument. "They were never going to injure a bunch of wealthy women standing around with signs, Jack. My father knew that."

"Well, your father's a lousy piece of–" He cuts himself off abruptly, shaking his head. "Look, you need to stop going along with him on stuff like. It ends now, Ace. Before it gets so dangerous that something does happen."

She cringes, looking away. He's going to tell her she can't write these kind of articles anymore. That's basically what everyone else has said, too, but if Jack doesn't support her it's different. She's not sure she can do it without knowing he'll back her up.

"Next time, you gotta tell me. No more of this secret stuff. Let me go with you."

"Wait, what?" Her eyes snap back to his.

"This reportin' business can't be that different from what I already do, right? An' if you're gonna be out there risking yourself, there's gotta be somebody there to stop you from doing something even more stupid."

"Jack, I–" To her horror, her throat closes up with tears. In her defense, it has been quite a long day. She shakes her head, blinking rapidly, and Jack pulls her to her feet.

"What do ya say — ready to get outta here?" He studies her critically, rolling his eyes at her reluctant expression. "It ain't gonna prove nothin' to nobody if you sit in jail all night, Ace. There'll be more rallies and more times to make statements. All you're gonna do is catch a cold in here."

"Okay." She smiles weakly, then stops and looks at him sideways. Her eyes dart to the guard shaking the keys impatiently, and she frowns. "What did you say to get in here? Are you allowed to just take me?"

He rolls his eyes, looking offended. "Course I am, Ace. What good would it be if I got myself arrested, too?"

She laughs a little, letting him lead her from the cell, then grimaces uncomfortably. "I was sure my father would have to come pick me up. I was going to call him in the morning."

"Well, as fun as that sounds, I'd rather just go home now . . ." Jack has started up the stairs now, but she tugs on his sleeve and pulls him to a halt again.

"Did you have to pay to get me out?"

"Nah," Jack says, ruffling his hair. "I just — I told 'em I was your husband, actually." He glances at her sideways. "Sorry?"

Her laugh is much brighter now, and though he's blushing, he's glad to see her anger gone. "And they believed you?"

"Course they did," he said smugly. "I just–" His voice breaks off, and his blush deepens.

"You just what?"

"I showed 'em something." If his face was any redder it would be glowing, but she's not going to surrender. This new topic of conversation certainly seems to be making her feel better, at least.

"Showed them what?"

Jack gives himself a little shake, meets her eyes briefly, and then turns away with a sigh of resignation. "You know how I said I was working earlier?"

She nods.

"I lied."

"What do you mean?"

He rubs the back of his neck awkwardly with one hand, the other one fishing around in his pocket. "I was getting — aww, hell. This ain't how it was supposed to go."

"How what was supposed to go?"

"Damn it, Ace," he mumbles, shaking his head. "You're gonna make me do this now?"

"Yes," she says immediately, though judging by her expression she still has no idea what he's talking about. Either that, or she's just playing with him and wants to watch him suffer for leaving her in a cell for an hour. He sighs and presses a quick kiss to her forehead. Then he drops to one knee and pulls out a ring.

"I showed 'em this," he says, not meeting his eyes. "Said you forgot it at home; really, I was out buyin' it when I heard you was here. An' I guess I have to ask now — Katherine Pulitzer, will you marry me?"

"You don't _have_ to ask if you don't want to," she murmurs teasingly in a slightly choked voice, but he only has a moment to look horrified — that's not what he meant at all — before she's thrown her arms around his neck in a tight hug that leaves him with a mouthful of her hair.

"Of course I will," she whispers. "For sure."

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**Reviews are confidence-boosters! (Also, tips on beating senioritis wouldn't be amiss right now :) Sorry the point of view jumps around, too - I have some clean-up to do later. But anyway, let me know what you think. It's good to be back :D**

**Much love,  
KnightNight**


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